Reflecting Independence

Written by Terry Dashner


F F C…PO Box 1586…Broken Arrow, OK 74013…918-451-0270…Pastor Terry Dashner

“A Beautiful Declaration” Werepparttar people…

We arerepparttar 113459 people ofrepparttar 113460 United States of America. We’ve come from every kindred, tribe, and nation to this nation—one nation under God. This is a great nation, and we are blessed to call America our home. I was thinking about this today and thought I’d write something to reflectrepparttar 113461 blessing of America’s Independence That’s right—just a word to reflect why we celebrate July 4th.

May God blessrepparttar 113462 celebration of America’s Independence Day.

America’s discontent withrepparttar 113463 British attempts at taxation began inrepparttar 113464 1760s. Americans had rallied behindrepparttar 113465 now famous slogan, “Taxation without Representation.” During that decade of dissent, colonists demanded only that their “rights” as Englishmen be upheld byrepparttar 113466 British Parliament. Inrepparttar 113467 beginning, they had no thoughts of drawing away from England by declaring national independence. That, however, changed afterrepparttar 113468 meeting ofrepparttar 113469 Second Continental Congress, which convened in Philadelphia in May of 1775.

Withrepparttar 113470 continuing Redcoat advances andrepparttar 113471 oppressive laws of King George againstrepparttar 113472 colonists, a pamphlet began to circulate in 1776 that rekindledrepparttar 113473 waning spirit ofrepparttar 113474 patriots. Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense (1776), attackedrepparttar 113475 English monarchy and called for America’s independence. These words were fire.

Highest Law...conclusion

Written by Terry Dashner


Faith Fellowship Church…PO Box 1586…Broken Arrow, OK 74013…918-451-0270… Pastor Terry Dashner…

Higher Law series Lesson Three

“Evolution of Inalienable Rights”

A conclusion…

“The Dawning of a New Day”

History is divided into three parts: ancient history,repparttar Middle Ages, andrepparttar 113458 current Modern era. The greatest turn in history wasrepparttar 113459 Reformation inrepparttar 113460 modern era of history. The Reformation birthed and nurtured science, art, and religion like no other period of history before it. I’m going to continue my topic onrepparttar 113461 sacredness of human life as it evolved fromrepparttar 113462 heights ofrepparttar 113463 Reformation to its fall in present day America. Once again, I begin withrepparttar 113464 teachings of John Calvin inrepparttar 113465 late 16th century.

On July 10, 1509, John Calvin, destined to become one ofrepparttar 113466 most influential Protestant leaders of all time, was born in Noyon (nwa-yon), France. After studying law andrepparttar 113467 liberal arts and masteringrepparttar 113468 ancient classical books, Calvin became associated with a group of Renaissance French scholars who were very critical of Romanism. Sometime before 1534, Calvin later described, God “subdued…[his] heart to docility [obedience] by sudden conversion,” and Calvin was henceforth committed torepparttar 113469 Protestant faith. Calvin hadrepparttar 113470 opportunity to put many of his ideas into practice inrepparttar 113471 city of Geneva, Switzerland. Exiled Protestants from all over Europe found refuge in Calvin’s Geneva. Future leaders ofrepparttar 113472 Reformation in other lands received training inrepparttar 113473 basics of faith and practice, and Geneva became known asrepparttar 113474 “Protestant Rome.” John Knoxrepparttar 113475 Scottish Reformation leader, who spent several years in exile in Geneva, calledrepparttar 113476 city “the most perfect school of Christ.”

Atrepparttar 113477 heart of Calvin’s system of theology is his strong belief inrepparttar 113478 sovereignty of God. Calvin believed that God “predestines” all things according to His own will. Everything God does is for His glory, although finite man does not understand God’s ways. Calvin applied his teaching concerningrepparttar 113479 sovereignty of God to everyday life in Geneva. He sought to build a Christian community based uponrepparttar 113480 Word of God. Takingrepparttar 113481 Bible, especiallyrepparttar 113482 Old Testament, as his law book, Calvin made sure thatrepparttar 113483 city statutes conformed to scriptural teaching. He stressedrepparttar 113484 independence of church and state, but he believed that both were subject torepparttar 113485 rule of God. He asserted thatrepparttar 113486 duty ofrepparttar 113487 state was to promote piety, punish evildoers, and assistrepparttar 113488 church by providing an atmosphere that would encouraged godliness inrepparttar 113489 lives of church members. The Geneva city council adopted his teaching issued orders forbidding dancing, drunkenness, and gambling, and requiring everyone to attend church services.

The Separatists of England adopted Calvin’s emphasis onrepparttar 113490 rule of law. The Separatists of England becamerepparttar 113491 Pilgrims who journeyed torepparttar 113492 “New World.” The Mayflower Compact that was drafted inrepparttar 113493 Boston Harbor byrepparttar 113494 Pilgrims was a model of government rooted inrepparttar 113495 ideas of Calvinism. Calvin’s rule of law was rooted inrepparttar 113496 Old Testament ofrepparttar 113497 Bible. Fromrepparttar 113498 Pilgrim’s Compact camerepparttar 113499 foundation of America’s Constitution andrepparttar 113500 Bill of Rights. There were other ideas that would seedrepparttar 113501 Declaration of Independence andrepparttar 113502 U. S. Constitution, which came fromrepparttar 113503 Age of Reason (18th century). For example, political reform was one ofrepparttar 113504 chief concerns ofrepparttar 113505 18th century philosophes (social reformers ofrepparttar 113506 Enlightenment). John Lock, who certainly was not a friend to religion, advancedrepparttar 113507 idea that men possess certain natural and inalienable rights—rights that can not be transferred or surrendered. Also, Montesquieu believed in political reform. He believed that government should be separated into three powers:repparttar 113508 executive,repparttar 113509 legislative, and judicial. Time and space does not allow me to mention others like Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, and their works of literature that were spawning new forms of government throughoutrepparttar 113510 world, namely England (Glorious Revolution), America (American Revolution), and France (Revolution).

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